


chicken broth and flannel shirts

by gravytrq



Category: The Outsiders (1983), The Outsiders - All Media Types, The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M, Trans Character, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-17 18:11:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18970390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gravytrq/pseuds/gravytrq
Summary: Sodapop is trans. And he doesn't know how to break it to Steve.





	chicken broth and flannel shirts

“You should just tell him.” Ponyboy said. Ponyboy was the only person I trusted for advice, despite him being fourteen and me being eighteen. Although, when you get caught up in a murder scandal, you seem to mature quite a bit.

“I know. I know I should. But he didn’t start dating me knowing I was born a girl. I’m not going to end up being what he signed up for.”

“He loves you more than that. I’m sure. He won’t care about your female anatomy, he just cares about you.”

“But what if it freaks him out? It freaked Sandy out when I told her. She used it against me for the rest of our relationship.”

“Sandy was a piece of shit. She didn’t love you. She didn’t deserve to love you. She got pregnant from someone els-”

“Like she could get pregnant from me?” I chuckled.

Pony scratched the back of his neck. “Shit, Soda.”

\------

I didn’t see Steve for the next two days. I was working up how to tell him I was trans. I heard on the second day that he caught the flu, and I went to see him the next evening.

I brought him a little tupperware bowl full of chicken broth.

“Sodapop?” he said when I got in the room. He sat up.

“Yeah, it’s me alright, Stevie. How you doing?”

“I’m fine, Soda, I’m fine. Come down here and kiss me…”

I laughed. “You’re sick! One of us has to keep the DX open, I can’t catch this.”

Steve crossed his arms. “Sodapop Curtis. You come down here and give me a kiss or I’m never gonna talk to you again.”

“You love me too much, but fine.” I leaned down and kissed him on the cheek.

I gave him the chicken broth. “Hey, Steve? I have something to talk to you about…”

His eyes went wide. “Soda, we aren’t breaking up, are we?”

“No! No, we’re not. I just...I’m…”

I started crying. “I’m gonna give it to you straight, I-” I was sobbing at this point. “I’m not a normal boy…”

Steve pulled me down to him. “No, you’re not a normal boy. You’re MY boy. You’re the most special boy.”

“Oh, god, Steve.” I grabbed his t-shirt and cried into it.

“It’s okay, Pepsi-Cola. You don’t have to tell me if you can’t.”

“Mmmmhhh….” I grumbled into his shirt.

“Come lay with me.”

I did. We lay there, arms tangled, until we both fell asleep.

\------

I was woken by Two-Bit’s shrill voice. “Well, well, would you look at the two lovebirds.”

Steve stretched his arm out, gracefully hitting me in the face. “Dammit, Two-Bit. I was comfortable.” His voice was nasally. The half full bowl of chicken broth was still on the nightstand.

“Well of course you were, you’re with your boyfriend.”

Wow. It’s so nice to hear that word in reference to me. Someone really loves me. And I love him back.

I still had my watch on. I checked the time.

“Oh, shit! It’s almost ten, I have to get to the DX!”

I pulled on my flannel. I guess someone had taken it off me in my sleep. My ribs hurt. I’m not supposed to wear my binder all night. Whatever, though. I’ll take it off as soon as I get home.

I made my way down to the DX, and there was already a swarm of girls at the door. I hadn’t even opened it yet.

I tried to put on my straightest (Yes, I know. Pun. Whatever.) face and walked up to the door. Or, tried to through the barrier of teenage girls. “Move away, gals. Somebody’s gotta open this thing up, and I’m the only one who’s got a key.”

They all squealed.

It’s all so tiresome. I know I’m supposed to be bisexual, but sometimes I really wish I were just gay. Girls are so tiresome. Girls are petty and dishonest. They’re greedy, they don’t care about anyone but themselves. I don’t know, though. Maybe I’m just naming Sandy’s traits at this point.

I worked in the DX for mine and Steve’s shift, working double. When 6pm finally came, I was ready to high-tail it outta there and make my way home.

When I got home, Steve was sitting on mine and Ponyboy’s bed. He seemed to be better.

I was so happy to see him. I practically threw myself into his arms.

“Steve! You seem well.”

“I am.”

I sat in front of him and leaned back on him. He ran his fingers through my hair. I took deep breaths in and out. It was calm, it was quiet. The only sound to be heard was the hum of our icebox and the railroads down the street. I loved every moment of it.

“Sodapop?” Darry yelled from the other room. I hadn’t realized how much time we had spent. For nearly an hour we just sat there.

“Yeah?” I got up. Steve checked the time. “Sorry, Soda, I gotta leave. Two-Bit wants me at his place in ten minutes.”

“Okay. I love you.”

“I love you too. You know that’s the first time we’ve ever said that?”

I simply smiled.

Darry came in the room after Steve left. “You’re really in love, huh?”

“Yeah…”

“What’s it like being in love?”

“It’s real nice.”

\------

I was going to tell Steve today. I knew I had to.

I knocked on his door. He didn’t answer. I knocked again and heard footsteps toward the main room.

He answered the door. “Sodapop! Come in!” He was excited to see me. I loved that.

My nerves were on fire. Burning beyond belief. “Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“Remember that thing I was gonna tell you when you were sick but couldn’t?”

“Yeah?”

“Well. Here it is. Please don’t judge me for this because I love you. I love you so much and I couldn’t let you get away from me because of this. I was born a girl. I’m a boy now, I promise, but I was born a girl. That’s why my voice is so feminine. That’s why I’m not very tall. That’s why I’ve never undressed in front of you. It’s because I’m not a normal boy. That’s why I dropped out sophomore year, because people were spreading rumors about it. And guess what? The rumors were true. I’m genetically and anatomically female.”

I was trying so hard to not break into crying, but Steve pulled me into a hug.

“It’s okay, Pepsi-Cola. You’re a boy. That’s all that matters.”

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this in like three hours so if its not good then im sorry


End file.
